


Every Color Illuminates

by fandomfix



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-21 03:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11935716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomfix/pseuds/fandomfix
Summary: Coats in all colors glimmered in the early morning sunlight. If they took off into the air right now, it would be a cloud of buzzing wings and multitudes of color. It would be magnificent.The Order and the Republic have been at war for years, until one day a treaty ends everything. Now Lord Hux and Lord Kylo find themselves thrust into an arranged marriage. They must learn to put aside their differences and decide if they can make this engagement work.





	Every Color Illuminates

**Author's Note:**

> This minibang fic was a labor of love and I feel like I'm writing a speech for this author note. 
> 
> If you listened to my spazzing on tumblr, thank you. If you helped calm me down during my twitter freak outs, thank you. An extremely big thank you to the mods, who were lovely and helpful every time something seemed to go wrong during this process.
> 
> And of course, a big hug for sirins-tree, who made some fantastic art for this that can be found [here](https://68.media.tumblr.com/bbce23e20709012860f53601f64d875f/tumblr_ov92rxvXhU1th97eao2_r1_540.jpg) and [here](https://68.media.tumblr.com/20de01e459ce67887cb1b5f4762a5397/tumblr_ovcuasteaP1th97eao1_540.jpg). I'm so glad I got to work with you on this!
> 
> Ok, onto the fic!

The Order and the Republic had been at war for years. No one knew when it had started, and most no longer cared.

But their war was producing grave consequences. They’d spent so long fighting each other, neighboring kingdoms had begun looking at them. Begun thinking it would be easy to sweep in while the two nations remained locked in conflict. While they ignored the similarities of their magicks and instead tried to destroy each other, some thought it would be easy to take over.

It was in this environment that Leia sat down in her private office. She’d been the ruler of the Republic for years, a duty given to her after the passing of her father. He hadn’t always been a harsh man, but the death of his wife turned him into a completely different person. Who wanted to take control of the Order and prove they were better. Stronger. Worthier of the magick gifted to them.

Leia didn’t feel this way. She never had and after his death, she tried to change things. She tried for years to convince the council to propose a treaty. Tried to convince them that war caused nothing but harm. Tried to explain that the people were tired and wanted a way out.

But no one would listen.

So on this day, she pulled out paper and began to write.

She thought of her son, just turned twenty-four and much too comfortable in their world of conflict. He wouldn’t realize what danger they were in until some other group stepped in and wiped them out. She didn’t trust his friendship with Lord Snoke either. The man had once been a trusted advisor, but in recent years she had grown suspicious of him.

And he was too close to Kylo.

She shook her head, leaning down to write a letter to the Order, hoping that the queen was as intelligent as she’d been led to believe. She would ask for cooperation. She would ask for an end of violence and the focus of their talents on a different enemy.

And if it got Kylo away from the Republic, all the better.

*

Kylo stood in his room, staring at the mirror.

Here in the darkness of his quarters there was peace. He hated it.

This war had been nothing but pain and bloodshed and his mother was desperate to end it all. She wished to find a peaceful solution, one which required a treaty with those living in the Order. Kylo had no interest in peace. He saw how things would play out more clearly than his mother.

The Order would agree it was the best solution. They would lie until they convinced the Republic of their willingness to negotiate. They would destroy them as soon as they had a chance.

The Order would only _say_ they wanted peace so they could have access to more power. He supposed he could respect that, even if he would rather have nothing to do with them.

Lord Snoke had told him the stories. How the Order once wished to oppress them, only because their magick wasn’t offensive. Lord Snoke knew his mother’s idea would only lead to more problems.

Kylo’s hand flexed around the weapon he held. He let his robes settle around his shoulders, the invisible wings grazing the floor. He felt the softness of the collar around his neck, and felt his magick well up inside.  In a burst of color, he looked down to see the sword come to life. He waved it in front of him and it left him hypnotized for several moments. When he swung it out behind him, it easily cut through the nearby table. A smile formed on his face. Let the Order think he was weak. They would learn the truth soon enough.

*

It started as a normal day. Hux organized an attack on a town held under the Republic. He avoided his retinue with the skill that came from twenty-eight years of doing just that. But then his mother located him and informed him of the changes about to take over the Order.

Apparently, the current leader of the Republic wasn’t as keen on this war as her father had been. She wanted peace. ‘ _My people are wearied,’_ she’d said in her letter, ‘ _and I’m sure yours are too. I propose an alliance between our two peoples. One to strengthen borders and instill union among us.’_

Hux thought it a cleverly crafted lie. He didn’t trust the Republic. His father ensured that distrust ran deep and would have scowled at such an idea. But—as mother often reminded him—Brendol Hux was no longer living. And they were all the better for it.

Lady Talia was of a mind to agree to the alliance. She said it would be beneficial to focus on mutual enemies. Said a never-ending war with a neighboring kingdom was leaving them vulnerable to outside attack.

It would also give them access to the Republic’s magick.

But that didn’t mean he agreed with a peace treaty. Or the _other_ bit of it.

“An alliance means that there must be something holding us together, Armitage.” Talia said, speaking candidly. “There must be a marriage between the nations. We must be _wedded_ to each other.”

His stomach twisted, already certain he knew where this was going and not liking it one bit. “And whom will we find for such a task?”

Her eyes settled on him, the serious look on her face brooking no arguments. “It’s already decided. She will offer her son to be betrothed to the reigning prince of our nation. The Republic and the Order will fly together, and our colors will streak across the sky in unity.”

Hux cringed, but said nothing. His mother’s final words ensured his quiet tongue.

“Prepare yourself, Armitage. I’m relying on you to see this through.”

*

Kylo entered the darkened room, feeling the brush of his cloak on the floor as he strode in.

His mother would be furious if she knew he’d come here before he preparing to leave for the Order. But he couldn’t go without seeing Lord Snoke.

Kylo couldn’t remember a time before the man. He had once been a great tactician, until an injury kept him from the front lines. Mother made him an advisor, and he had always been a strong presence in Kylo’s life.

When Kylo’s magick first began manifesting, Snoke was there for him. He explained that Kylo’s powers were stronger than his mother’s. That they were meant for something greater than the defense of their homeland.

That they were meant for defeat and victory.

“What brings you here, child?” A voice echoed from further into the room

Kylo stepped in to see his master stood beside a window. The sunlight cast him into deep shadow.

“I wanted to say my goodbyes. To tell you that I will not stop my training just because I’m leaving.”

“Good,” came the curt reply. “You would not be worth my time if you did. And you should do more than train while there, Kylo.”

Kylo hesitated, hoping to hide his confusion, but he needn’t have bothered. He’d always been bad at masking his emotions.

“You will be in the heart of the Order, Kylo. You will have access to their plans, to their people, and _to the royal family._ I hope you are intelligent enough to see what a boon this is.”

He nodded, rushing to assure the man that he did. Explained how he planned to let them underestimate him, to let them think his magick wasn’t great.

Lord Snoke huffed.

“It isn’t enough to hide your powers. You are the crown prince. They know your mother isn’t unintelligent. She wouldn’t send them a deficient prince when her whole plan is to strengthen us against enemies.”

He stepped closer, allowing Kylo to see his face. To look at the scarred remains and see the torn nature of his cloak. The brown and black spots looked sad and frail, almost enough to make one forget how powerful Snoke was.

“They must think you are in complete support of them. Let them underestimate your gifts, but also let them think you support this union.

“Let the man they call Armitage Hux think you want to marry him. Once they are convinced, write to me. I will see to the rest.”

Trepidation ran down Kylo’s spine. He shook it away, not wanting Snoke to see.

“Yes, my lord,” he nodded, stepping away. He turned his back, Snoke’s eyes following him out the door.

As he slipped back into his room and looked at the boarded-up nature of it, he sighed. Time to begin.

*

Hux reveled in the silence of the forest. It had been a difficult month, since first learning of the plans for alliance. The treaty had caused some shock and uncertainty. Yet it seemed their rulers knew what they were talking about. The people were weary, and any means of ceasefire were met with great support.

The court had been a bit harder to convince, but all it took was a few mentions of the Republic’s magick to quiet their complaints. Their magick was of a more unnoticeable kind than the Order. Everyone knew it could come in handy if an attack were leveled on them from the outside. It didn’t matter how little he himself supported it.

He looked around him, taking in those on the other horses, flanking him. Coats in all colors glimmered in the early morning sunlight.

If they took off into the air right now, it would be a cloud of buzzing wings and multitudes of color. It would be magnificent.

He faced forward, sparing a momentary thought for the shades of his own greatcoat.

The folds looked like nothing more than lines of black on a background of orange to the untrained eye. But when they unfurled, he was a sight to behold.

Hux shook himself, pulling out of his thoughts. They were about to reach the clearing. As it came into view, he braced himself.

He took a deep breath, seeing the outlines of a group of people. They all wore dark clothing, casting them in shadow. Hux wished he could discern who was who. It would have been nice to know who he’d be spending the next several years of his life with.

He couldn’t help thinking his own retinue must be a shock of color for these dark apparitions.

They came to a stop, all dismounting their horses. Hux once more sent a prayer of thanks that the original idea of flight had been shot down. The wings were meant to be useless unless the occasion called for it.

Doing so now would have appeared highly offensive to their new allies.

He strode forward, hearing his retinue hasten to keep up. He stared straight ahead as a figure stepped forward out of the dark group. Hux immediately knew who he was.

It was a man with pale skin and dark eyes. Hux had never seen that color of brown before. While a small part of him sneered at the drab color—the color his people respected least—the larger part noticed how rich it seemed. The man’s features were all disorganized. His lips stretched too wide, his nose protruding sharply, his hair fluttering in his face. At his neck was a hood the color of fire, which seemed to make the paleness of his features even more prominent.

At his shoulders were robes of magnificent black and white.

Hux looked on, not sure what to make of this man. Not sure what to make of the unexpected fascination he felt.

And then the man kneeled, the robes making a soft sound as they settled on the ground. The hood settled against his hair, obscuring it from view as he kneeled in greeting to Hux.

All Hux could think about was wanting to put his hand on the man’s head. All he could think about was running his fingers through that fluffy collar to see how it felt.

Hux felt the trickle of magick down his back which indicted his cloak trying to morph into wings. It took everything in him to keep his composure.

Instead he held out a hand, offering it to the man to stand up. As their hands clasped, he felt a tingle of magick run through his fingertips.

He released the man, making his own perfunctory bow and felt his cheeks redden. He’d forgotten what he was supposed to say.

*

The ride back was silent. Hux wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but total silence wasn’t it.

After he’d helped Lord Ren to his feet and they’d shared the normal pleasantries, he’d expected questions. He’d expected the man to want to know more about the Order. He’d thought the man would ask what to expect when they arrived at the citadel. He’d expected more out him than silence and a stare that cut right through him.

And he still wasn’t sure about the man’s appearance.

His colors were so…neutral. Except for his collar, his colors were all blacks and whites. Colors only used as bases for the brighter aspects of wings. Colors of little importance.

At least in Hux’s realm.

Yet this was the _heir._ This was the man who would take over when his mother finally passed on.

And his one burst of color was so…familiar.

Hux grew up in a world where color was always visible. Where you wore your robes with pride. And his mother said his colors were the most magnificent. The most vibrant. An indication of what a great ruler he would be. He’d never been quite sure what she was getting at, but he knew the color was unique.

And Kylo wore it around his neck, while hiding the wings that Hux knew were there. That Hux _wanted_ to ask about, although he knew how rude it would be. It didn’t stop the desire. Didn’t stop him from feeling the need to reach out and touch.

It was probably a good thing that they didn’t speak much. That he must think about what awaited them ahead, instead of thinking about the man riding next to him.

Better to think about the future. About the ways in which their lives would converge, and hope for the best.

But as the day dragged on, he realized there was at least one thing he should address before they reached the city.

He cleared his throat as he saw the first spires rise above the trees.

“Tell me, Lord Ren,” he began, putting as much confidence in his voice as he could. “Would you object to a tour of the city once you are settled? It would do well for you to learn your way around.”

He glanced at the other man, who stared at him blankly. He pushed on, as if he didn’t find the gaze unnerving.

“I’m sure you don’t want to be dependent on me. If it is to be your new home, you should know it well enough to navigate on your own.”

He hesitated to bring up the wedding. Even when they were making their way to the citadel and the city, he felt no rush to remind Lord Ren of what awaited them.

The silence dragged on for a moment longer, before he heard a deep release of breath.

“I suppose that isn’t a terrible idea,” Lord Ren responded. His voice was deep and cultured, smooth and slow, as if he weighed each word before he spoke. Even after hearing it back in the clearing, his voice distracted Hux for a moment. He shook his head subtly, once more feeling the tingle of magick down his back.

“It would be nice to see more of the people I’m to live with. To see how they live when they aren’t on the other end of a battlefield trying to kill me.”

Hux ignored the dig. It was almost reassuring to know that he wasn’t the only one unsure about the treaty.

He wanted to ask Lord Ren about it. Ask if he agreed that it seemed like an impossible task. Their peoples might be tired and they might be worried about outside threats. But the nations hadn’t been allies for a long time. How could a marriage between two heirs who couldn’t even have children hope to ease the bad blood? He wanted to ask the other man if he knew what his mother had been thinking.

Wanted to ask if Lord Ren could help him beat some sense into both their mothers.

But no. They didn’t know each other and for all that the man fascinated him, he didn’t trust him.

“Yes,” he said, when he realized he’d been quiet for too long. “It would be good for you to learn more about our ways. If nothing else you’d need to understand the castes.”

Lord Ren looked at him, narrowing his eyes. But Hux ignored it. He was done with this brief conversation. Let Lord Ren try to work out how Hux’s people lived. He was sure no one from the Republic had ever tried.

Maybe if he was left alone with his thoughts long enough, he’d be willing to talk to Hux more.

Hux squashed that thought as soon as it entered his head. He’d already decided silence was best. He must stand by that.

He spurred his horse on, pulling away from Lord Ren, under the pretext of rushing ahead. He needed to get some distance between himself and the disconcerting man.

*

Kylo was preparing for their outing.

He’d arrived two nights previous, after one of the most frustrating and hilarious rides of his life.

Lord Hux was not good at controlling his thoughts. Granted, he might not have realized he was projecting. Perhaps he had spectacular control, and Kylo hadn’t had time to see it in action.

Hux thought the treaty was foolishness. He thought both of their mothers were out of their minds for suggesting it. Thought nothing strategic would come of it, that it did nothing except muddy the waters.

And yet he wanted to try. He found Kylo _barely_ interesting enough to spend time with. Even if there was the unspoken future between them. Their future together.

Kylo could use that.

He hadn’t forgotten his orders from Lord Snoke. Let Hux get to know him, let him feel more comfortable in his presence.

He stood in front of the mirror, making sure he was ready for today’s excursion.

Hux wanted to show him the city, to give him a sense of the people who lived here day in and day out. He wanted to give Kylo a better understanding of their “castes.”

Kylo thought he understood them well already. If your robes were flashy, if your wings were colorful, you were important. If they weren’t, if they were browns or greys, you were nothing.

He almost _hoped_ Hux would bring it up. He had some choice words to give the other man.

He adjusted his robes one more time, feeling the invisible brush of his wings along the ground. Burrowing into his collar, he turned to exit the room, his sword a hidden weight at his side.

As he walked down to the main hall, he took in the grandeur around him. It was nothing like he’d expected. He was surprised at how _light_ everything was.

It was as if the sun always shone in the hallways of the citadel. There were no ominous dark corners, no hidden spaces that implied dark meetings. It was…normal. It was something he would have expected back home, in the palace of his mother. She believed everything should be soft blues and greens.

Kylo despised his mother’s house. He’d only ever found solace in his training with Lord Snoke. And yet he didn’t hate it here. He felt the Order’s light wasn’t as all-encroaching as his mother’s.

He knew he couldn’t let sentimentality get to him. He was only here to show Lord Hux and all those like him that offensive magick wasn’t always better. That sometimes, magick which allowed you to enter unobtrusively was best.

“Ah, there you are.”

Kylo pulled himself out of his thoughts. Somehow his feet led him right to the entrance hall where Lord Hux waited. He was dressed for walking, and Kylo was almost surprised to see they wouldn’t be riding horses. He hadn’t expected Lord Hux to lower himself to actual walking through the city.

His cloak remained around his shoulders, the impression of the wings as awe-inspiring as before. Kylo would never admit to the momentary flash of interest he’d felt upon seeing those wings. The way he could feel the magick radiating off them, even when Lord Hux kept it under strict control. The fact he’d seen no one else with that exact color of reddish orange in any part of the Order.

The only place he’d seen its match was in the collar around his own neck, but he shook that thought away.

“Yes, here I am,” he replied after a moment. “I didn’t realize we were on a schedule.”

Lord Hux paused and Kylo sensed him mentally suppressing a sarcastic comment. Kylo wished he’d have delivered it. But it did prove his suspicion. When Lord Hux was trying, he was much better at controlling his thoughts. There was something more ordered about them than there had been two days previous. Kylo wondered if he’d been so stressed the day they met that he hadn’t been able to act in a way that he normally would have.

“We aren’t. But I didn’t think you’d want to spend your entire day in the city. I thought you might want time for other things.”

“It’s as you said, my lord,” Kylo tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “If these are the people I will soon be spending my life with, isn’t it better if I spend time among them?”

He swept past Lord Hux, going to the doors, which were opened for him by a heretofore unnoticed servant. He heard a huff of breath from behind him and slowed down. He knew that Lord Hux wouldn’t rush to keep up with him, and he did need the other man to be his guide. As they matched speed, he allowed himself a second to enjoy the way their strides fit together. And then he focused on what Lord Hux was saying.

“As you can see, the citadel is the largest structure in the city, and it is where most of the people work. Those who don’t, work here in the markets. I’m sure you already knew we get most of our revenue through trade.”

They walked in this way for some time. He let Hux’s voice wash over him as he took in the people around them. He noticed the lines of soldiers that marched by. Each person hidden behind a dark mask of white and black, their uniforms just as simple. In fact, they were the only ones he’d seen in this entire place whose colors were so monochrome.

He noticed the shopkeepers with little bits of white or black in their robes muted under all the grey or brown. He noticed the difference in radiance between those running the shops, and those who came down to the market from the citadel.

The bright purples and the flashy yellows. The blues and the reds. It was obvious that the ones with those colors were better respected. Higher ranked. He suspected their magick was stronger as well.

“Do you always live in your head like this?”

Kylo turned to look at his companion, who stared back at him with a look of mild impatience. Good. He might finally be having a human reaction.

“I wasn’t aware you were saying anything worth my interest.”

“Really?” Lord Hux said. The disbelief in his voice forced Kylo to keep a smirk from forming. “I thought since you had such an _invested_ interest in my home, that you’d want to hear what I’m saying. I must have been mistaken.”

“Yes, you were.” Kylo said, noticing the looks they were garnering. They shouldn’t be bickering in the middle of a market square where anyone could see them. It wasn’t as if they were anonymous. Kylo was foreign and in the company of the prince. It didn’t take much to know who they were. But he didn’t care.

“I beg your pardon?” Lord Hux responded.

“All I see around me is inequality. And I don’t need _you_ to figure it out. Unless your wings are blindingly bright and obnoxious, you’re less than nothing. That isn’t interesting to me _._ That is boring. And doesn’t convince me this union will be good for my people in the long run.”

Lord Hux was silent, staring at him in surprise. Kylo didn’t give him time to say anything.

“I admit, yourself and your mother aren’t flashy. You manage to look regal. But otherwise, there seems to be no discernment. I watched a member of your retinue kick a servant as they dismounted their horse the other day. I’ve watched servants with more savvy than half your military in the two days I’ve been here. The imbalance is staggering.”

The other man’s eyebrow rose, his lips pursing in a vain attempt to keep the anger off his face. It didn’t work. His skin was too light for such nonsense.

“Do you really care about any of that? About this injustice? Are you actually in support of this plan to see us wedded off to each other and the end of hostilities?”

Kylo held his tongue. They were still out in the open. They had an audience, no matter how well the townspeople kept inconspicuous.

“I have real concerns about equality between us.” He settled on. His mother would have been so proud. He’d never said a sentence so diplomatically in his life. “If you treat your own people differently based on the color of their wings, then how do I know you won’t think the same of my people? Many of them have wings that are brown, a color you don’t respect. It is an insult to the magick given to us to assume they are lesser because of that.”

They looked at each other. It was obvious Hux wanted to say something, but it seemed he’d had the same realization as Kylo. They were in public. They were being watched. It wouldn’t do for them to get into an ethics debate in the market.

It seemed they had to cut their walk short.

“Shall we return to the citadel?” Kylo asked, keeping his face blank and his voice neutral. He felt the magick tingle in his fingertips. He felt the spasm of his wings down his back.

Lord Hux nodded, and the walk back was silent. When they returned, Hux didn’t acknowledge him, other than a brief bow before taking his leave.

Yet Kylo could sense it. The fury in his thoughts. The affront and irritation and annoyance. The swift heartbeat and rapid flashes of magick coursing through the man. The way it made his entire being seem to glow with power.

It was intoxicating.

*

Hux had spent the last two weeks doing everything in his power to avoid Lord Ren. He was certain the other man was doing likewise. They hadn’t spoken since the failed outing to the markets.

It wasn’t that he thought Lord Ren was wrong. He’d seen how respect and money were divvied up in the Order and knew it wasn’t right. But they had been at war. No one in the field cared about what you looked like. They cared about destroying the Republic.

Except now that dream was dying, and he had to listen to Lord Ren talk about things he knew nothing about. Pretend he didn’t see his point.

His passive aggressive avoidance had come to a head this morning, when he’d gone to an audience with his mother.

“Tell me, love, how has Lord Ren been settling in? I haven’t seen him recently.”

Hux hesitated, which was his mistake. He was always confident in what he said, unless he was lying. And his mother knew that.

He attempted to salvage the situation. “He’s been settling in well, I suppose. He isn’t very obtrusive.”

She looked up at him, raising one elegant eyebrow.

“Would you like to that try again?”

His mother was too astute. It was partially due to her magick. There were rumors that one of her grandmothers had been from the Republic, that she had some of their magick in her. That she could read minds. He loved his mother too dearly to care.

But it was very unhelpful in moments like this.

“Not particularly. My answer was truthful.”

“Was it?” she said, looking down at the sleeves of her gown, the blues and oranges of her cloak reflecting the morning sun.  “Because the servants have been whispering. They say that you haven’t seen Lord Ren in two weeks. That you and he quarreled in the market square and have had no contact since. Have the servants been lying, Armitage?”

He winced. So much for that. He shook his head, refusing to meet her eyes.

“What did I tell you, when the treaty was first presented? What is the one thing I requested of you?”

Hux hated this. He felt like a child again, brought before his mother for punishment. The only difference was that his father wasn’t here to bluster and shout and make everyone think _he_ was the one to fear.

(Hux had always known the truth.)

“You told me you were counting on me to see this through. But mother, you don’t understand—”

“I don’t need to hear it. Your quarrel was already reported to me by Captain Phasma.” He couldn’t hide his surprise. “Did you forget she was on patrol that day? But that isn’t important. What is important is that you are twenty-eight years old, and my heir. I need to know that I can trust you to lead the Order when I am gone and that I can trust you now as well. When I said to see something through, do you think I was kidding?”

He pursed his lips, feeling the tingles of his magick wanting to burst out and attack. But he wasn’t stupid. That would have ended terribly.

“No, mother.”

“Then fix this, Armitage. You are to marry in ten weeks. I don’t expect immediate friendship, but I do expect that you can hold your betrothed’s hand during the ceremony. Do we understand each other?”

Hux fumed. He wished he could explode at his mother. Wished he could say all the things he wanted to say to her. But he couldn’t. She was so angry with him that he knew a fight was the last thing either of them needed right now.

But he did know who he _could_ fight.

Which was why he burst into the training grounds, startling the soldiers.

“Where is Captain Phasma?” He demanded, his voice necessitating immediate satisfaction.

“Right here. Stop shouting at my men,” came a voice from his right. He turned, seeing Phasma stride toward him in all her glory. Her cloak of iridescent black glimmered in the light, the streaks of red around the bottom flashing. It made him think of Kylo’s robes, which reminded him that he was angry right now.

“I just came from my mother. Would you like to know what happened?”

Phasma came up beside him, rolling her eyes at his dramatics. She set down the spear she had been carrying, giving him her entire attention. “You want to tell me, so go on.”

“She reprimanded me like I was six years old and we’d gotten caught trying to sneak out with the troops again. _And_ informed me that you were the one to tell her about my outing with Lord Ren.”

Phasma sighed, a small smile dancing on her lips. Hux couldn’t focus on that. He needed to get his magick under control. It wanted to lash out, wanted to strike at Phasma. Wanted to overpower her, to take her up into the skies and drop her to her death. The smile faded from her face as she stared at him.

“You need to drain your excess magick. I can _see_ your wings trying to manifest.” She picked up her spear again, waiting for him to grab a weapon and meet her on the field. Once they began fighting, Phasma finally responded.

“I told her because you weren’t doing anything. It’d been two weeks since I watched you two bicker like school children. Yet neither of you made a move to do anything to reconcile. I don’t know him well enough to get on his case, but I _do_ know you.”

They moved in silence, Hux feeling his magick coming down to a manageable level. He grunted as he tried to trip her up.

“It was none of your business though. We had a fight, because Lord Ren doesn’t understand anything. And I have no patience for his refusal to be anything other than contrary.”

Phasma dodged, almost hitting him in the side with her spear in retaliation. “It _is_ my business, Hux. You two are supposed to ‘ _bring peace to our lands. Help us to focus on our outside aggressors_.’ All you’ve done so far is argue and not speak for days.”

Hux tried to get a hit on Phasma, but she’d lost her patience. She ducked around him, knocking his feet out from under him. He landed on his back, keeping his eyes closed against the sun.

“You have to talk to him, Hux. You have to prove that you’re at least willing to try with this thing, even if neither of you planned to marry.”

He opened his eyes, considering her sincere blue ones.

“I know he doesn’t care though, Phasma. He wanted to rile me up, I’m sure of it. He doesn’t care about my people, and he probably doesn’t care about his own. I don’t know why he’d want to distract me like this, but he does.”

She shook her head, holding out her hand to help him up.

“You’re being paranoid, Hux. And even if he has some dark secret he’s hiding, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you _must_ marry him. Unless both your mothers die in the next ten weeks, this wedding _will_ happen, even if you hate each other. Make it less painful for yourself, highness.”

He felt his lips curve a bit. Only Phasma could make his title sound like an endearment.

“I still don’t agree with you,” he said, stepping away from her to put away his weapon. He heard her sigh, but didn’t give her time to speak. “But I will consider it. If only so you can start those new attack drills for our enemies to the north.”

“Exactly,” she responded, the humor clear in her voice. “I need a new challenge, Hux. Get it for me.”

He smiled to himself as he walked back inside. He wasn’t lying. He would think about what Phasma said. But he wasn’t going to do anything about it today. The two most important people in his life had just handed him his head on a platter. He needed some time to lick his wounds.

*

Kylo felt trapped.

He wasn’t. The few delegates who had traveled with him were more than willing to spend a couple hours together. And the servants offered on more than one occasion to show him the way to the training field. He couldn’t quite bring himself to go down there though. The idea of watching people who’d been training to kill him at one time was too much.

He’d even had an invitation to take dinner with Queen Talia. That woman unnerved him. For someone whose magick was completely offensive, she seemed to know more than she let on. Something in the shrewd way she looked at him was unnervingly familiar.

He wasn’t even irritated with Lord Hux anymore. He was frustrated. He was supposed to earn Hux’s trust. And so far, he’d failed. He’d managed to make the man ignore him for over two weeks. At this rate, he’d waste all the time leading to the wedding. He needed Hux to talk to him again.

He needed to see him again.

As if on cue, there was a hesitant tapping at his door. He rose carefully, not wanting to make any sort of noise.

Opening the door, he was surprised to see Lord Hux, looking unimpressed.

“Was there something you needed?” Kylo asked, using his body to block the view of his room. Lord Hux didn’t need to see his sword lying out. He didn’t need to see the mess of clothes strewn across the room. Lord Hux always looked pristine. He didn’t need to give the man reasons to judge him.

“I came to…” the man trailed off. He seemed to be struggling with something, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Kylo refused to give him any impression of interest.

“I came to apologize, I suppose.”

“You suppose?” Kylo asked, stepping out into the hallway and closing his door behind him. Hux stepped back to allow him room. “Are you unsure?”

“I don’t really know what my part in the quarrel was, other than to be a member of the society you abhor. But you were angry and I didn’t want to hear your side of things and then I didn’t help matters by not speaking to you for days. So yes, I _suppose_.”

Kylo puckered his lips, attempting to keep his temper from flaring. He’d been getting better at sending out his magick, at controlling the burst of energy down his fingers. Better at entering the servants’ minds without them realizing it. But if he lost control and lashed out at Hux, that would destroy everything. He sighed.

“Yes well, I suppose I shouldn’t have taken my grievances out on you like that. I should have waited till we were back at the citadel.”

The two men stared at each other, neither seeming to know what to say next. Kylo leaned back against the door, falling into the comfort of his robes. Hux stood rigid and stiff in his cloak, but Kylo could tell that it was discomfort this time.

 “Was there anything else you needed, Lord Hux?”

Hux met his eyes and Kylo stared back. It was frustrating how every aspect of the man distracted him. Even the lovely blue-green color of his eyes pulled Kylo in. It made his annoying qualities that much more irksome.

“Please,” the man said. “If we’re going to try and make this marriage in any way tolerable, call me Hux.”

Kylo tilted his head to the side, looking at the man in confusion. “Hux, not Armitage? Do I not merit first names?”

He shook his head, a derisive tilt to his lips. “My mother is the only one who calls me that. I much prefer Hux.”

Kylo didn’t know how to respond, but something small and warm unfurled in his chest.

 “Well, then I suppose you should call me Kylo. It’s only fair.”

Hux hesitated, wanting to ask something. Kylo could already predict the question.

“Tell me. Ren is not the same last name as your mother?”

Hux didn’t continue, obviously unsure how to word the question. Kylo took pity on him.

“My birth name was Ben Solo. I hated it as much as you hate Armitage. So, from an early age I insisted on a different one. No one other than mother ever questioned it, although she eventually gave in.”

Hux snorted, and it took Kylo a moment to realize he’d laughed.

“Yes,” he said, his head turned away to look at a bit of wall to the left of Kylo. “You strike me as someone it is difficult to argue with.”

He turned to focus back on Kylo’s face, all the humor disappearing.

“I don’t know what your motives are, Lord—Kylo. I don’t know if you support this treaty or if you despise it or if you are waiting for a moment to kill me in my sleep. All I know is that this wedding is happening in less than three months. And it’d be nice to not spend the entire time fighting with each other.”

Kylo stared at him, hearing the murmurs in Hux’s mind. He believed what he was saying, but there was something else behind it. Kylo’s distrust flared up and he had to ask.

“This is a quick turnaround. When we met I got the impression you couldn’t care less about this treaty.”

If Hux was at all surprised by this subtle allusion to Kylo’s powers, he made no comment. He shook his head, taking a single step toward Kylo.

“I don’t. It’s a short-term solution that wasn’t thought out well by anyone involved. But I agree with the sentiment behind it. And as a good friend reminded me recently, the only way out of it would be for both our mothers to die.”

Kylo couldn’t help the small squirming feeling in his lower gut. He chose to ignore it.

“So, you figure we should make the best of an unpleasant situation?”

He didn’t know how he felt about that. Could they set aside their differences for even a moment? Did he want to?

“Yes, exactly. Let’s get through this. If we’re lucky, we’ll manage to make it to the wedding without killing each other.”

Kylo stared at Hux for a moment, taking him in. He stood by his statements in the square. Still believed the prejudices of the Order were dangerous and made them untrustworthy. But he also saw that shouting at Hux would do nothing. Kylo would have to put off his arguments for now.

He ignored the quiet voice in the back of his mind, which tried to tell him how he could change things once he married Hux. It wouldn’t do to think of the impossible.

*

Hux was looking for Kylo. In the past month, they’d come to a sort of truce. He still didn’t understand Kylo’s motives, but he felt they could be honest with each other. He could tell the other man about how little he enjoyed his mother’s massive plans for their wedding. He could tell him about the ridiculous engagement party she was planning to throw for them.

He’d tried telling her this entire treaty depended on the wedding, so a party was unnecessary. She’d given him such a _look_ he’d left the room with a sigh.

“My mother wants an excuse to throw a party,” he’d told Kylo later that day.

“She’s excited,” he’d responded, continuing with his training exercises. Hux huffed, but didn’t remove his eyes from Kylo.

Kylo refused to train with the rest of the soldiers and while Hux suspected he knew the reason, he hadn’t brought it up. A truce implied _not_ bringing up subjects that would lead to arguments. And watching Kylo’s use of his magick was fascinating.

Hux was so used to his own version of magick. The flying attacks and use of power to subdue your opponent. Kylo’s was subtler. He could move things with a look of his eyes and a flick of his fingers. Hux saw him once wrap himself in his robes and seem to materialize on the other side of the room. When he’d asked if the other man had teleported, Kylo looked at him like he was an imbecile.

In actuality, he’d felt like one as soon as the question left his lips.

The Republic’s magick worked more on one’s perception of where their opponent was. It allowed them to slip in unnoticed. Hux found it fascinating. He’d always been so focused on attack that he’d given little thought to the defense side of things.

He was sure there was more to Kylo’s magick than he showed. It was there in the way he stopped abruptly if Hux entered the room.

The way he never allowed Hux a glimpse of his wings.

Not that Hux did either, and as the weeks went by, it became more and more a source of distress. He knew showing someone your wings in a personal setting was the height of intimacy. It wasn’t as if he wanted to run up to Kylo and flash their wings at each other.

But he wanted some sort of sign that Kylo might…appreciate them.

Because as the wedding drew nearer, Hux’s initial attraction grew stronger. He looked at Kylo and could imagine a life with him. Not one of total agreement. But the arguments would be stimulating. Infuriating, but stimulating.

It gave Hux hope. Perhaps Kylo would come to like him, come to see him as a friend.

Hux tried to ignore the part of him that squeezed at the idea of only friendship.

*

“Hux!” He jumped, turning around to see Kylo approaching. “Have you heard me at all?”

Hux looked at him, and Kylo smirked.

“I just saw your mother. She said you’ve been arguing against the engagement party again?”

Hux rolled his eyes, falling into step with Kylo as they walked out into the grounds.

“I wasn’t. I know you’re right. She won’t give up and it’s useless to argue against it. But I don’t see the point of it and she doesn’t appreciate when I say as much.”

Kylo nodded, not saying anything. He had one hand in his collar, fingers moving in absent patterns through the softness. Hux tried not to stare, tried not to let Kylo see how fascinated he was by those damn wings.

“Are you content?” Kylo asked abruptly, after they’d been walking for several moments. Hux knew the confusion must be plain on his face, because Kylo hastened to continue. “The engagement. The wedding. We both know how against it you are. I’ve told you about how you couldn’t stop projecting the first time we met. Do you still feel the same? Are you unhappy with the way things are progressing?”

Hux looked away, feeling the familiar need to take off into the skies and scream. Either that or fling something from the great height. Neither of those things would have been useful to answering Kylo’s question though.

“I suppose,” he began, choosing his words with caution. “I have come to accept that it might not be the worst thing to happen to me. We’ve been getting along well enough the past few weeks, and we both know this is going to happen whether we like it or not.”

He trailed off, and Kylo picked up without a moment’s hesitation.

“That doesn’t sound like contentedness though. That sounds like resignation, Hux…” He cut himself off, seeming to struggle with what he wanted to say. Hux waited patiently to hear what came next. They were alone in the gardens, and Hux allowed himself to watch the play of light on Kylo’s features.

“Hux,” he started again. “I don’t expect you to confess your undying love to me. I don’t even expect you to decide we’re best friends. I just…want to ensure that the idea of marrying me is less repugnant than it was before.”

Hux stared at him. He still wondered at Kylo’s commitment to this wedding. Still questioned his dedication to it. He never spoke well of his mother. He respected her, but he didn’t love her. Not like Hux loved his own mother.

And so, it made no sense that Kylo was so supportive of it. After that first quarrel, they'd tried to get to know each other. Yet, Kylo always held a part of himself back. It sometimes seemed like he was trying to convince himself of his sincerity, as much as Hux.

But he looked at the clear brown of Kylo’s eyes, staring into his own with intent interest, and came to a decision.

Stepping up close to Kylo, he reached out and tugged away the hand still holding onto the edge of his robes. He felt the tingle of magick in them as he passed his fingers along the wings, pulling Kylo’s hand into his own. He thought he saw Kylo shiver.

“Kylo.” He twisted their fingers together, trying to put every ounce of candor into his voice. “I admit that this treaty wasn’t what I expected out of life. I didn’t expect you, the crown prince of the Republic, to be my chosen partner. But we agreed that we’d see this through together. We agreed that we’d make the best of this. And I think we can make it work.

“I want to spend the next month and a half getting to know you even better than I do now. I want to go to that stupid engagement party with you. I want to watch the flashes of everyone’s wings spin around us while you look on in disdain. I want to feel our magicks shifting to accommodate each other as we grow together.”

Kylo stared at him all through his speech, his eyes dark and his fingers squeezing Hux’s. His mouth pursed with something that seemed hesitant. When he looked away, his hair blew into his face and Hux was reminded of the first time they met.

“You have an annoyingly clever way with words.” Kylo mumbled, his voice gruff.

Hux smirked. “So I’ve heard. But you have a stronger demeanor, so we equal each other out. Our countries will never know what hit them.”

Kylo’s eyes flashed to him, though his head was still turned away. He squeezed Hux’s hand again, and Hux thought he might pull them closer together. His heart beat rapidly at the thought.

But that didn’t happen. Instead Kylo pulled his hand away, turning. His head bowed, he started to walk back inside. Hux rushed to catch up.

“Have I convinced you that I’m not resigned?” He couldn’t help but ask, trying to pull some humor back onto Kylo’s face.

Kylo stared at him, seeming even more conflicted. He didn’t respond to Hux’s question, and once they’d reached the safety of the citadel, he quickly walked away.

*

Hux tried to focus while training with Phasma, but it was becoming more and more difficult lately.

As his feet were swept out from under him once again, he groaned at the impact against the ground.

“Alright,” Phasma said, the frustration clear in her voice. “What’s the problem? I know I’m better than you, but not usually this much.”

He glared, before reluctantly taking her hand.

“It’s nothing.” He grumbled, brushing his cloak off. The look Phasma gave him was skeptical.

“Really? Because the last few weeks, you’ve been almost pleasant. And now you’re so distracted even the foot soldiers could defeat you. What’s wrong?”

He sighed, glancing around to ensure they had some modicum of privacy. As expected, everyone else was pretending not to notice the prince in their midst.

“It’s funny you should mention that. Lord Ren is the problem.”

Phasma cocked her head to the side, her cloak rustling behind her as she shifted. Hux smiled at the sight.

“What’s the problem now? I thought you two were getting on disgustingly well?”

Hux couldn’t put his finger on the problem. It was his emotions and his hesitance all rolled up in one big ball of uncertainty. When he tried to explain this to her, Phasma sighed.

“Is this still about your belief that he’s up to something? Because Hux, you know the easiest way to find out would be to ask him, right?”

Hux ran his fingers through his hair, moving to walk off the field. Phasma followed quickly.

“It’s not that simple. Yes, there are moments when his mood seems to change. And yes, I do sometimes wonder at his sudden shift in attitude. But honestly, it’s none of that.”

He could see her losing patience. “Then what is it?”

“Me.” He said sharply. “I came up with this idea as a way for us to get through the treaty with less violence, and I believe we’ve succeeded. We spend almost all our time together anymore. I’d almost label us friends.”

She nodded, taking his arm and pulling him inside, where they’d be less likely to be overheard.

“But lately, I _want_ to spend all my time with him. It’s not about the treaty, or the wedding, or keeping up appearances. I wake up and think about what I’ll talk to him about that day. I wonder whether he’ll talk more about his magick. If he’ll let _me_ talk about my magick.”

Phasma had a slow smile on her lips, but she remained silent. Small mercies.

“I want to talk to him all the time, about everything. And it’s become distracting.”

He watched her, waiting for her to say it. To say the one thing he dreaded hearing. He wasn’t ready for this, wasn’t ready to have her confirm something he only suspected.

But she didn’t. Instead she reached forward, pulling him into a brief hug, which she quickly released him from. He felt the familiar, affectionate tingle of their wings brushing against each other.

“Hux,” her voice was gentle. “That isn’t bad. I’ve never seen you care about someone who wasn’t your mother or me. Letting another person in is alright.”

Hux wasn’t so sure. He still felt so apprehensive about Kylo sometimes. But when he tried to express this to Phasma, she shook her head.

“That could be because of the wedding though, highness. You were thrust into an engagement with a man you didn’t even know three months ago. A man you were actively at war against.”

She smiled and waited until he let his lips curve minutely.

“You’re allowed to feel unsure about this, Hux. But don’t let apprehension turn to cowardice. Be brave enough to accept something when it is given to you. No matter where it came from.”

Hux stared, thinking over her words. He didn’t know how to respond, and she seemed to realize it. Squeezing his arm one last time, she stepped back.

“Phasma,” he said, as she started to turn away. “Thank you.”

She nodded, before laughing.

“It’s no problem, Hux. After all, without me, the two of you wouldn’t have gotten _this_ far. Obviously, you need me for this marriage to work.”

He smiled at her and stood alone in the hallway long after she’d turned the corner.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

*

He’d spent so long dreading this ridiculous party that he’d managed to be late.

Hux wasn’t going to appreciate it, but that was alright. The man needed him around to make sure things weren’t always structured.

He stopped on the staircase, hesitating for a moment in contemplation. He couldn’t help playing over his conversation with Hux in the garden, what felt like a lifetime ago. He’d spent the last month going back and forth, trying to decide if he’d made the right choice.

He hadn’t expected things to progress as they had. Over the past weeks he had become more and more central to the people in the Order. He’d seen servants smile at him as they walked by. He’d seen people in the town crane their necks to look at him as he swept through the market.

(He always took the time to greet as many merchants as he could.)

He’d finally given in and begun a training plan with Phasma. He’d quickly realized she was as important to Hux as his mother. When Lady Talia passed, Phasma would be as much an advisor to Hux as the queen had been.

And then there was Hux. Hux, who spent the last weeks getting to know him. Searching him out to complain about his mother’s work on the wedding. Talking to him about how he used to love strategizing, before the treaty called an end to that aspect of his days.

Hux, who had a sprinkling of freckles on his hands, but nowhere else. So invisible you had to be extremely close to even notice them.

Hux, whose cloak danced in the wind. Who Kylo often dreamt of flying with late at night, when he couldn’t control his thoughts.

He still wasn’t sure if his decision was the right one. Lord Snoke had been central to his life for so long. And he still didn’t know where his place would be in the Order if he didn’t write to him now. But things were progressing. The engagement party was tonight and the wedding not long after. The window to write to his master was closing.

Kylo watched it happening, and couldn’t help the twinge of relief in his heart.

He’d come to the Order determined to hate them all. To resent them all.

And there were still things he hated. There were the castes and the obnoxious obsession with showing off their colors. As if displays of magick meant real power.

But there were also moments of loveliness. When he saw little children in the market, trying to form their cloaks into wings as they chased each other. When he saw merchants laughing with the soldiers, never looking twice at the absence of color.

Watching Lady Talia smile over some pointless joke he made at breakfast. Hearing Phasma laugh as she beat yet another soldier to the ground and tried to convince him to join in.

(No matter how he resisted. It strengthened Phasma’s resolve that he should help her beat the soldiers into submission.)

Seeing Hux and remembering every time he made Kylo’s heart beat faster. Like the moment they shared several days ago.

They’d finished one of their more involved conversations. Hux wheedled Kylo to open up about his magick. To show it off. And Kylo resisted as he always resisted. Smiling at Hux and trying to not feel flattered at the other man’s fascination. In an attempt to turn and walk away from him, he brushed too close. And their wings touched.

Kylo didn’t know if Hux even noticed. Certainly, the man acted as if nothing happened. Perhaps to him, it was nothing more than the accidental brush of wings you expect in the market or at a crowded party.

That’s all it should have been to Kylo too. But since he began spending more time with Hux, he kept wondering what would happen when they married.

And when their wings brushed, Kylo sensed their magicks reaching out to each other. He wasn’t sure why, but the man’s magick felt so strong, strong and yet tentative as it reached for his.

He didn’t want to see that fragile magick come to harm. He couldn’t bear the thought of _Hux_ coming to harm.

And that was when he’d made his decision. Lord Snoke wouldn’t disappear. Kylo would still have to figure out how to keep him away from Hux. But he would see this marriage through. He’d wait and see where Hux wanted this to go.

Kylo shook those thoughts away, finishing his descent into the entrance hall. Lady Talia had wanted them to arrive together, but Hux said that was a ridiculous idea. To hear him tell it, they were as much presenting Kylo as announcing the engagement. Kylo should be able to arrive alone.

It was one of the few times Lady Talia gave into Hux’s logic. And it was the one time Kylo wished she hadn’t.

He wanted Hux beside him. He wanted the person who had been on this irritating, pointless journey with him. He wanted Hux to stand with him, their arms pressed together, as they entered this room.

He wanted many things. And he didn’t know if he was alone.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the ballroom.

*

Hux looked up at the sound of the doors opening, watching Kylo descend in his normal wave of darkness. And as always, it drew the attention of everyone in the room.

Or Hux was projecting. It was getting hard to tell.

Lately, he’d been struggling. He thought the friendship with Kylo was going well. He’d thought he was content.

As Kylo made his way over to Hux now, he was once again taken in by the colors of the man’s robes. He looked at the seriousness of his expression, and felt the tingle up his spine at the brush of Kylo’s magick.

He didn’t know if the other man was projecting it or not, but lately he could _feel_ Kylo’s magick when they were close. And he liked it. Just as he liked everything about the other man.

 “Hux,” Kylo murmured, coming up and bowing at the waist. Hux had a brief flashback to the first time they met, the first time he’d reached out and taken the other man’s hand. He hadn’t realized what he was getting into then. He still wasn’t sure if he knew.

But once again he reached out. Once again, he took Kylo’s hand as the man straightened up, bending over it and squeezing his fingers. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on them. He could sense the approval of those around them.

He could let go of Kylo’s hand now. He _should_ let go of Kylo’s hand. They weren’t meant to be affectionate at all times. They were only meant to be allies in this farce. Perhaps friends, if they were so inclined.

But he looked at the mingling of their black and white gloves and felt the return pressure from Kylo. He didn’t drop his hand. Instead he allowed his lips to curl upwards, enough for Kylo to see, and led them onto the dance floor.

So far, this engagement party was exactly what he’d expected. They weren’t being officially announced, because everyone already knew what was happening.

They weren’t bringing the two neighboring lands together for a celebration yet. Both their mothers agreed they should wait until the wedding celebration.

It really was an excuse for his mother to throw a ball, under the pretense of showing off her son.

It annoyed him. But as Kylo fell in step beside him, his arm solid around Hux’s waist, he couldn’t be irritated.

They moved in silence, Hux distracting himself with the colors dancing around them. He saw Phasma’s sheen moving through the room, dashing from one partner to the next, a smile always on her face. He saw soldiers trying to act professional in the wings. He saw his mother holding court in the corner, her eyes moving between the people in front of her and the two of them.

He was staring into space, when Kylo finally broke their silence.

“Well Hux, is the party everything you dreaded? Are you waiting for the sweet embrace of death as we speak?”

Hux chuckled, pulling his attention back to Kylo.

“It’s too many people. And your arrival was the only exciting moment all night, but even that was anticlimactic. If Phasma weren’t enjoying herself so much, I’d ask her to hit me over the head and try to convince everyone I’d gotten drunk.”

Kylo smirked, the hand on Hux’s hip tightening for a moment.

“And you’re forced to dance with me, that must be a hardship for you.”

Hux studied the other man, unsure what answer he was looking for. If he wanted the too truthful answer, or if he wanted a snarky comeback.

 “You’re actually a better dancer than I thought.” Hux paused for effect, before continuing. “If you abandon me to any of these other people though, I will have to divorce you.”

“How can you divorce me when we won’t be married for another month?”

“I’ll find a way,” Hux said confidently. He heard the music end, and another song start in its place. But he and Kylo had stopped. The bodies kept dancing around them, but they still held position. They looked at each other, but Hux didn’t know what Kylo was seeing. For his part, Hux was noticing many things. The places their bodies touched. The sliver of distance keeping their wings separate.

The splatter of moles on Kylo’s cheek, leading up to his deep eyes.

He felt Kylo shift, but only their upper bodies swayed. Their feet stayed motionless.

Kylo’s eyes shifted and came to rest on his lips. He felt the man’s fingers reach out, stroking his back where he knew the wings would manifest.

Time to be brave.

“Kylo,” he said, his voice coming out in a croak. He cleared it roughly. “I’ve been wanting to tell you something. And I know it might upset you but I—“

“Why say it then?” Kylo’s voice was soft, but his eyes were looking for something. Hux didn’t know what it was they wanted. Did he not want Hux to voice it? To put a name to this slow pull they had been feeling for weeks now?

(That Hux had felt since the moment they first saw each other.)

“No, Kylo, I—I need to say this.” He paused to take a breath. “I know we said we’d get through this engagement together. And I’ve trusted you more than I ever expected. I know you don’t trust me to the same extent, but even a little is enough.”

He looked down at his feet, pretending he didn’t notice how they stopped moving. Pretending not to see the way Kylo’s entire face tensed up. The way his entire body froze.

“But I…I realized something. I’m attracted to you. And not only in the physical sense. I like talking to you, I like watching you fight, I like listening to you talk about your magick. I wanted you to know that I don’t go into the marriage with dread anymore.”

He kept his head down, but looked through his eyelashes to see if Kylo had any type of reaction. There was a conflicted look in his eyes.

“Hux,” he started, his voice slow and quiet. “You know I respect you. That I don’t plan to marry you out of guilt or spite. But there are things you should know about me before you make up your mind.”

He was struggling, trying to find some way to get his words out. Hux could only look at him in confusion.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Kylo looked around, noticing how many people were watching them. He clenched his jaw, dropping his hand to grab Hux’s wrist and pull them away.

Hux should have stopped him. In any other instance, he would have stopped him. People would talk.

But he was confused. Confused and trying to not feel rejected. So he let Kylo drag him outside. Into the garden where he’d first started to accept that his feelings were changing.

Kylo turned to face him, releasing his hand and stepping away.

*

Kylo forced himself to meet Hux’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Hux to admit to having feelings for him. He’d been so certain it must all be one-sided. So certain, he hadn’t allowed himself to consider what would happen if Hux felt the same.

And the moment the words left Hux’s mouth, he’d known he had to come clean. He’d known that he had to tell Hux about what he’d almost done. How he’d almost betrayed him. He still didn’t know what Lord Snoke had planned for Hux, but he knew it would have destroyed everything.

And he’d almost given in. If he hadn’t allowed himself to feel the mingling of their magicks. If he hadn’t fallen to the pull of attraction he felt for Hux.

He’d almost thrown it all away. And he couldn’t let Hux say he cared for him if he didn’t know about that.

“Kylo, why are we out here? Is this an appropriate reaction to what I told you?”

He focused again on Hux, who was looking frustrated and confused. Never a good combination with the other man.

“I just—“ he cut himself off, bringing his hand up to bury in the collar of his robes. “I need to tell you something. But it’ll make you angry.”

“When have you _ever_ cared about making me angry? We argued within the first week of our acquaintance.” Hux tried to get him to laugh, but Kylo couldn’t give in. Couldn’t let himself get distracted from what he needed to say.

“No, Hux. This is different.”

“What?” Hux asked, squinting his eyes and taking a step closer to Kylo. He reached out to pull Kylo’s hand from the collar, but this time he didn’t allow it to happen. He stepped away, shaking his head.

“Before I…no.” He cleared his throat. He needed to start again. Needed to explain everything as best as he could.

“I grew up isolated. My father was never there, and mother expected things from me I could never give. My magick was too powerful for her to control too. I was able to enter the servants’ minds and convince them to give me snacks by the time I was four.”

Hux smiled, still looking unsure. Kylo never spoke this much about his magick or his life in the Republic.

“And then I met Lord Snoke. And he took me under his wings. He taught me control and he taught me to wield it. And…and he taught me how to hate the Order _and_ the Republic. To see that they were both flawed and weak. Not worth anything.”

He watched Hux freeze, his mouth partially open. He pressed on before Hux could speak.

“And the night before I left to meet you, he gave me a simple order. Come here. Get to know you and your people. Get you to trust me. And then write to him. And he’d manage the rest.”

Hux stepped back, his face falling into a blank expression. They stood in silence for so long, Kylo worried Hux would never react. He almost startled when the man finally spoke.

“What does that even mean?” He asked, his voice void of emotion.

“I rather suspect he had plans to infiltrate the Order. I think he was going to use magick to enter your mind, get you to leave the citadel. Get you to march to your own death.”

“And you were his way in.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. And I considered it. But I’m not going to do it. Because I can do more to help here in the Order than I could have ever done in the Republic. I want to stay. But you needed to know. You needed to know that he’s still a threat. He’s still someone to watch for.”

Hux was silent, and Kylo didn’t know what he was going to say.

What he wasn’t expecting was a burst of orange, the quick blast of magick coming at him, and then to be pulled into the air.

He felt Hux’s magick overpower him, felt it pressing his limbs tight against his body so he couldn’t move. He felt them flying higher and higher. And then his magick finally reacted.

He _pushed_ into Hux’s mind, pushed until he felt the well Hux pulled his magick from. The place where he’d been thinking about plummeting Kylo to the earth.

He wrenched power away from Hux.

Hux released his tight control on his magick, long enough for Kylo to manifest his own wings. Pushing back as hard as he could, he flew away from Hux, keeping him in view.

Hux didn’t chase after him, but he also didn’t drop to the ground. Kylo couldn’t help but appreciate how vibrant and graceful his wings were. He’d never seen such a mixture of colors on anyone else in the Order. He’d never realized how beautiful wings could be until now.

Yet the look of anger, the feeling of devastation beating down on him from Hux’s mind was almost too much to bear.

“Hux please,” he shouted, trying to move closer, using every available bit of magick to try and calm Hux’s mind. But he pushed back, using his magick to push Kylo away from him.

“What do you expect me to say, Kylo? How am I meant to react? You tell me you plotted to try and overthrow the Order, and you want me to listen to anything else you have to say? To let you keep talking about using me?”

Kylo could feel the wind shifting around him, could feel the force of Hux’s magick keeping him away. But Hux couldn’t control minds like he could. He couldn’t keep Kylo from speaking.

“I want you to believe that I’m not going to. I want you to believe that I decided not to. That I realized I couldn’t.”

“And why should I trust you? You’ve just proven why I should _never_ trust you.”

Hux took off higher into the air, and Kylo rushed to chase after him. Soon Hux would get too high for Kylo to follow and he needed to make sure Hux heard him before that happened.

“You don’t have to trust me. You just need to believe me.”

He started to say more, but Hux dove, coming to an abrupt stop on the ground, before storming further into the garden.

Kylo stayed in the air for a moment. From up here he could see the whole citadel, could see the portals of light casting shadows out onto the grounds.

But Hux was getting further and further away. Shaking himself, he chased after him.

*

Kylo landed, rushing as fast as he could into the gardens. He didn’t bother hiding his wings. He couldn’t take the time for something like that. When he finally found Hux, he saw that he’d forgotten about them as well.

He advanced with care, knowing that one false move could get him taken into the air again.

“Hux…”

Hux didn’t look at him, instead collapsing to the ground and staring into the darkened trees.

“Why would you tell me this? Why would you let me admit to…to having feelings for you, and then tell me that you planned to betray me? To betray everyone?”

Kylo hesitated. He knew the answer. He knew he should say it. But he also knew how powerful words could be.

He was losing Hux. And if he didn’t act fast, he wouldn’t get him back.

“Because I couldn’t let you feel that way about a lie.”

Hux turned to look at him, the anger melting off his face. Kylo wished he could say the same about the hollow feeling taking over Hux’s magick.

“A lie? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kylo stepped forward, coming to stand in front of Hux. If he shifted a little to the side, the bottom of his wings would brush Hux’s.

“It means you wouldn’t have known what I almost did. I would have had to lie to you for the rest of our lives. And if I wanted things to change, I couldn’t do that.”

Hux looked up at him, and Kylo was shaken by a memory of the first time they met. Their roles reversed, Hux sitting and Kylo stood over him. Kylo felt so different from how he did then.

Gone were the feelings of resentment, of distaste. Gone was the tingle of foreboding when he looked at the man below him.

He reached out his hand and Hux stared at it for a moment, before bringing his own up to clasp it. Kylo felt the now familiar tingle down his back.

He gently tugged Hux to his feet and it happened.

With the shifting of Hux’s weight, their wings touched. And the feeling was euphoria. Kylo felt strong. He felt invincible. He felt like he could take Snoke on and destroy him if he so much as looked at Hux the wrong way. He could feel every emotion and every conflicting thought in Hux’s head.

And from the look on Hux’s face, he was feeling something similar.

Hux cleared his throat, the distrust still lurking in the background. But when he spoke, it was with the softest voice Kylo had ever heard him use.

“What is it you wanted to change?”

And Kylo took the last step forward. He stared into Hux’s blue-green eyes, blocking out all the magick calling for his attention. Instead he looked at the man before him. The man he’d bickered with, and mocked their mothers with. The man who’d talked to him and tried to befriend him.

The man who had somehow become more important than his own master. More important than the ideals that master enforced for so many years.

He saw Hux’s chin tilt upward and leaned in.

After the brush of their magick, a kiss should have felt insignificant. But as he pressed their lips together and felt Hux’s quick intake of breath, he was blown away. Hux’s hand came up to rest on his back, and at the contact with his wings he gasped, deepening the kiss. He reached back too, and once they were in contact in all places, Kylo stopped thinking.

He fell into the kiss, fell into the movement of Hux’s hands over his body. The overwhelming mingling of their magicks.

Intellectually, he knew this didn’t solve everything. Hux was still angry and Snoke was still a threat. But for this moment, he was kissing the man he would marry in a month. He was kissing him and didn’t want to stop kissing him.

And if anyone tried to break them apart he would take drastic action.

As if he was the one who could read minds, Hux chuckled and pushed in closer.

*

Hux stood at the gates, waiting to welcome to envoy from the Republic.

The wedding was tomorrow, and Lady Leia was about to arrive.

Kylo stood beside him, as silent and stoic as the day they’d first met, in that quiet forest clearing. Where Hux had first lost himself to Kylo.

He shook those thoughts away, although he didn’t brush off the hand wrapped around his waist.

He understood that Kylo didn’t betray him. He understood that Kylo decided he cared about Hux more than this magick master. He even thought he understood why Kylo hid it from him for so long.

He could see himself falling in love with this man, and practiced caution. He’d been so willing to give in, so willing to trust, even when his instincts told him something wasn’t quite right. He knew he couldn’t blindly fall into this again.

This time, he had to ensure he and Kylo were completely open with each other.

And he wanted to fall. In the past month, as his trust built back up, as he saw Kylo put in the effort for them both, he’d seen where this was heading. And he wasn’t angry. They would have that strong friendship on the day of their wedding.

And if Hux was looking forward to their first kiss as a married couple, that was no one else’s business.

Watching the retinue coming toward them, he could pick out Lady Leia with ease. She wore an underdress of the same muddy brown so often seen in Kylo’s people, but her robes were a deep forest green. It was lovely. And around her neck was the same fluffy collar that her son had, although hers was in a pure cream color. It was almost shocking to see the difference between them.

Her approach was slow, and Hux could feel Kylo’s impatience next to him.

“You can’t be nervous,” he said, his lips barely moving. He felt Kylo’s hand tighten around his waist.

He scoffed, waving his free hand. “Of course not. But the last time I saw her was three months ago. I’ve changed since then. She might react badly.”

“Oh right,” Hux said sarcastically, turning to smirk at Kylo. “Because so much changes in three months.”

But Kylo didn’t snicker at the joke like Hux expected. Instead he pulled his eyes away from the approaching retinue and turned to stare at Hux. His eyes flickered to Hux’s lips, but he settled his intense gaze on Hux’s eyes.

His voice was soft and certain when he spoke.

“Mine did.”

His face was still straight, his gaze serious and unwavering. But Hux smiled and saw the returning flicker on Kylo’s lips. He reached up to run his fingers along the moles on Kylo’s cheek. He let his hand rest there for a moment before turning away to face their guests once again.

He felt Kylo’s eyes still on him, but Lady Leia was nearly in earshot. And while he hadn’t completely let go of his irritation and distrust, he also knew that this was between the two of them. This was a problem of _their_ future, and it was one they would face as a unit.

“As did mine,” he whispered, as he heard the shout announcing the arrival at the gates. He felt Kylo lean forward, pressing his lips to the side of Hux’s head. He heard the gentle chuckle as Kylo’s hair brushed his cheek.

His cloak brushed the edges of Kylo’s robes and magick tingled down his spine.

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from "Spectrum" by Florence + the Machine, which I pretty much listened to on repeat the entire time I was writing this.
> 
> My birthday is tomorrow. Getting this posted was my gift to myself and I think it's the best thing I'm gonna receive this year. I hope you liked it as much as I liked writing it.
> 
> Come say hey on [my tumblr](http://fandomfix8.tumblr.com)!


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